ROCHESTER – The first goal of Buffalo Sabres prospect Jake Richard’s pro career created some confusion.
At first, Richard figured the goal would be credited to the shooter, Americans defenseman Gavin McCarthy, his close friend and a fellow rookie. But teammates told Richard the goal belonged to him.
When he watched a replay, Richard, 22, realized the puck hit him as he battled one of the Toronto Marlies for positioning in front of the net.
“Definitely not how you imagine your first goal,” Richard said after scoring in his AHL debut Oct. 2 in Blue Cross Arena.
Sure, it wasn’t one for the highlight reel. Still, in utilizing his 6-foot-1, 191-pound frame to score a dirty goal around the crease, he displayed some of what makes him an intriguing young winger.
“I’m someone that likes to go to the net and find pucks in that area,” Richard told the Times Herald last week. “So they all count the same. So as long as they’re going in, that’s all that counts.”
Right now, the Sabres might count Richard, a sixth-round pick in 2022, 170th overall, as their top forward prospect in Rochester. Incredibly, he’s the only forward on the AHL roster they drafted and awarded an NHL contract.
In his first weeks in pro hockey, Richard, who played three seasons at the University of Connecticut, has stood out. He generated some early confidence by scoring a power-play goal in his NHL preseason debut and adding an assist in his second appearance.
The Jacksonville native has scored three goals and six points in 11 outings with the Amerks entering Friday’s game against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
“He can make plays, but I think Richie’s biggest thing is to work on the intangibles of the games of winning pucks, getting in on the forecheck,” Amerks coach Mike Leone said. “Those (are) things that when you’re in college and you’re playing 20 to 23 minutes a night, you’re asked to score. In our league, I think he can get points.”
Ultimately, points will only take Richard so far. To crack the NHL someday, Leone said he must do more than score.
“Is he good on the wall?” he said. “Can he win battles? Is he willing to get into the battle, like, is he getting to the net front?”
Leone said Richard possesses “really good tools.”
“He has really good hockey sense,” he said. “I think everyone knows he’s got to work on his first three strides.”
Amerks assistant coach Scott Moser said Richard excels in tight areas and at protecting the puck along the wall. When he’s in a tough spot, he knows where to release the puck.
Moser also said Richard has “been getting to the net a lot.”
“He understands this is where I got to go to get rewarded, and he’s been there,” he said. “There’s been a lot of clips where we don’t score, but the goalie didn’t see anything because Richie was in the paint and he was in the right spot.”
Richard is cognizant he must evolve as a pro and focus on details to excel.
“You don’t need to be doing anything fancy or out of the ordinary to produce or to get the results you want,” he said. “It’s the little things that work.”
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The Sabres, who had Thursday off, host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday at KeyBank Center.
Jake Richard went to the netfront and earned himself his first pro goal AND tonight’s @DeltaSonicWash Play of the Game. #LetsGoAmerks https://t.co/Qu7Gq5xok2
— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) October 3, 2026